Aekeis
by Lola-Tenshi
Summary: On a split-second decision made in the midst of war, Prince Rei is sent to Earth when he is only a baby. On his return 14 years later, he must learn the ways of his true country. Meanwhile, in their enemy country, Prince Kai faces troubles of his own. AU
1. Prolouge

Title: Aekeis

Disclaimer: Beyblade rightfully belongs to Takao Aoki. Not me.

Pairings: Kai/Rei, Boris/Yuuri (Bryan/Tala)

Warnings: Shounen-ai, boy/boy love, if you don't like, don't read. I also use their Japanese names, not their English ones.

Wordcount: 2450

Last Edited: 8/4/10

_Prologue: How it All Began_

Screams of terror breached the looming stone castle as a young man sprinted down the long stretch of hallways with all of his might. His top priority was reaching the nursery, not the raging war that resided just minutes away. His unkempt obsidian hair occasionally whipped him in the face as he dashed around the last corner and into the room he had been searching for.

Taking a quick scan of the room's occupants, the young man let himself catch his breath. Sitting besides an empty crib, a woman around the same age as the young man, was holding a tiny baby. She was desperately trying to sooth the obviously distressed child in anyway she could. Her bright magenta hair often fell in front of her somewhat panicked gold eyes, getting in the way. At the arrival of a new person, her head snapped up, ready to cry out in case of an intruder.

The baby in her arms continued to emit loud whimpers, as tiny, pearly-white fangs poked out of his small mouth. His pupils were mere slits in the vast amber oceans of his eyes. Recognizing the young man who had walked through the door, his cries quieted so they were barely heard.

"Prince Rai?" The magenta haired woman started to rise, but stopped as Prince Rai held up a hand.

"Mao, where's Kiki?"

"I'm right here, what's going on?" a small but squawky voice sounded from right behind the prince.

Hastily turning around to make sure that it was indeed Kiki standing at the doorway, Prince Rai let out a breath of momentary relief. He turned back to Mao, ready to give out orders.

"I'm going to open a portal to Earth," Prince Rai started, quickly getting to the point. As he was talking, he started walking over to Mao to pick up the baby. "I want you and Kiki to bring my brother there and hide-"

"But what about your parents!" Mao interrupted hastily, fearing where the conversation was going.

A look of mourning came over the prince's face as he fought off the memory that happened only moments ago. The event that had created this torrent of quick decisions. Staring down into his brother's wide-amber eyes, he finally got the courage to answer Mao's question.

"They've been killed."

Gasps of shock and disbelief escaped both Mao and Kiki before they could contain them. Kiki, being the first to recover, suddenly realized how serious their situation had become. Looking between the two close brothers, he spoke up quietly.

"What do you want us to do once we're at Earth?"

"Hide, I'm not sure where the portal is going to lead, but I'll try to make it an unknown place. Then I want you and Mao to find a new home for him and leave him with someone who seems trustworthy. You aren't to have any contact with my brother until it's time to bring him back home. That, or if the situation calls for it."

"You want us to leave your brother with some unknown family!" Mao practically screeched, cutting the prince off for the second time that evening.

"I'm not done Mao. We don't have much time left."

True to what the prince had just said, another wave of terrified screams breached the walls around them, sending shivers down three spines.

"Yes, you are to leave my brother with an unknown family, but you are to keep watch over him. That's why you're staying on Earth with him, for his protection. To make sure that he's being taken care of, and to take him back here on his sixteenth birthday. That will give us three years to prepare him in the event that he needs to take the throne when he comes of age. Understood?"

Mao and Kiki shared a quick glance at each other before turning back to Rai, both nodding their heads. They knew that it would be a lost cause trying to convince their prince to choose a different path for his brother.

"Good. I don't think it's safe to leave the nursery so I'm going to open the portal here with a veil. When I tell you to go through it, go, don't hesitate. Using my powers will not only drain me of most of my energy, but _will_ alert the enemy of where we are, which is dangerous enough with me at full strength."

Not waiting for a response, Prince Rai promptly walked over to Mao, and gently handed over his little brother. He then proceeded to walk in front of the nearest wall, pushing a small tiger plush out of his way. Holding up a hand to the wall, he pointed his forefinger upward and lightly touched the stone. He closed his eyes and took in three deep breaths, trusting Mao and Kiki to not interrupt him at this vital moment. Rai slowly ran his finger down the wall, never letting the contact break as he formed a straight line, letting power flow out of his finger tip forming a shimmering green line.

It wasn't until he was at the bottom of the wall that Rai stood back up and opened his eyes. He placed both hands, touching back to back, on the green line, letting the power flow through him. Then, as if he were opening a curtain, he pulled his hands apart making the line stretch out to form a rectangular portal.

The veil covering the portal obscured where it led, the only visible scene being darkness broken only by a swirl of dull stars. They could only hope that its destination was somewhere safe where the youngest prince could be raised peacefully until his sixteenth birthday.

"Go!" Rai turned his head to look over his shoulder to see where Mao and Kiki were. While he had been opening the portal, they had quickly grabbed some random objects from around the room and had put them in a traveling bag. Now both were scurrying toward the portal, Mao holding the young prince tightly in one arm and the tiger plush in the other, while Kiki was carrying the small amounts of luggage that they had managed to gather during the short period of time they had.

Kiki went through first, letting the shockingly cold sensation wash over him. It was like jumping into the ocean in the middle of the snowy season as tingles ran over his skin as if millions of tiny fingers brushed against him. He faintly heard Mao's gasp as she entered after him. This being the first time Mao traveled though portals, the immense cold was a surprise for her as she held the tiny baby in her arms tighter.

Somewhere behind the traveling trio, a saddened voice could faintly be heard. "Goodbye Rei, little brother. Until we meet again."

Then the traveling group was consumed by pitch black shadows, as Rai closed his end of the portal. The shadows didn't last for long, leaving as fast as they had come. Kiki, being the first one of the group, shot out of the portal first, landing easily on his feet. He had traveled by portal enough times to know what to expect at the end of the journey. Mao, on the other hand, didn't, so Kiki dropped the luggage quickly and turned toward the portal exit, ready to catch the possibly falling woman and baby.

A moment hadn't even passed by yet, as Mao tumbled though the portal's exit, falling into Kiki's waiting arms. Once she regained her sense of what was up and down, Mao lifted her head, and loosened her grip on Rei. Glancing down, she noticed that Rei's eyes that had been squeezed shut during the journey, were now as wide as saucers, frantically darting left to right as if to figure out what was going on. His tiny hands were weakly clenching and unclenching, as a fresh wave of whimpers started up again.

"It's okay Prince Rei," Mao cooed, bending over to grab the tiger plush that had fallen to the ground. She gently nudged one of the prince's fists with the plush's head, attempting to calm him down. Seeing the plush near his grasp, Rei grinned, little fangs poking out from behind his lips as he grabbed the plush and giggled to himself. Waving the plush around, Rei kept giggling, occasionally nudging himself with it.

Mao smiled delightfully at the now calm baby before glancing up at Kiki. He was looking around himself, taking in everything that was around them. It wasn't until then that Mao looked to see where they ended up, surprised to see that they were surrounded by endless forests. Their wasn't a single sign that anyone had lived here before.

"Leave it to Prince Rai to send us to the middle of no where!" Mao tutted, more amused than angry. "How are we supposed to find a family for Rei when their isn't anyone around?"

"Hm," Kiki hummed. He was still looking around with a thoughtful expression on his face. "There might be a town or village around, I'm going to use Foresight and see what I can find."

Kiki let his eyes slide shut, taking a deep breath to relax as he felt the power of Foresight creep into awareness. Keeping his eyes closed, the darkness surrounding him became fuzzy, as colors and shapes came into view. Though Foresight didn't grant him the ability to see things clearly, it was still an advantage for seeing what was around them at long distances.

Allowing the Foresight to take him forward as if he were sprinting, Kiki kept watch for anything that might signal some form of civilization. Whether he heard or saw it. Another gift of Foresight was that it didn't only let the user see what was going around him, but he could hear it as if he were actually there.

All of a sudden, Kiki spotted something that caught his eye. The tree's seemed to let up, before a large clearing with blur-shaped huts. It was in this clearing that Kiki noticed they were in some mountains. Looking around the village, he saw people of all different sizes speaking a language that was somewhat familiar. He couldn't have chosen a better moment to find the village. Two figures who happened to look like adults were heading out for a walk. It was then that Kiki quickly shut off his foresight and turned back to Mao.

"We're in luck, there is a village not too far ahead," Kiki smirked. "Their also happens to be a couple leaving for a walk. If we're quick, we could place Rei where they'll see him. Hopefully they'll take him in, if not because they want a child, but because they want to keep Rei safe."

Mao nodded, following as Kiki swiftly headed off in the direction he knew the couple were going. "Did you recognize the language?"

"Sort of, I'm just having a ha-" Kiki stopped abruptly, suddenly recognizing it. "It was a dialect of Chinese, I knew it sounded familiar. I don't think I know this dialect though."

"Hm, well that shouldn't be a problem for now. We shouldn't worry about it yet," Mao decided still holding onto Rei who had fallen asleep. "How much further anyway? It's getting hot out."

"There is going to be a path ahead, we can place Rei there and wait in the bushes to see what the couple will do."

In just a few minutes, they had reached the path. Looking around, they quickly searched for something to place Rei on, because Mao refused to place him on the bare ground. Not finding anything, and sensing that they didn't have much more time before the couple arrived, Kiki reached in the traveling bag and grabbed a blanket. Placing it neatly on the ground, and placing the sleeping prince on top of the blankets, Mao and Kiki started to quickly hide behind a nearby tree.

Mao stopped and reached into the breast pocket of her dress, pulling out a gold necklace. On the front of the necklace was a gold pendant, the word 'Rei' engraved on it with tiny emerald stones. Slipping it on the young prince's head, she placed a quick kiss on his forehead before running behind a nearby tree.

Footsteps sounded, and laughter rolled Mao and Kiki's way, as the couple appeared walking along the path just as Kiki's Foresight had shown. The first was a woman who immediately spotted Rei, making a tiny gasp of shock.

"Zhen, there is a baby in the middle of the path!" She ran ahead of the second person, a man named Zhen, and to Rei who was slowly waking up.

"Who would leave their child in the middle of a path like this!" Zhen muttered, kneeling next to his wife. He watched as large, confused amber eyes started back at him, slowly filling with tears.

"Poor thing!" The female muttered, before gently picking Rei up, gently rocking back and forth. She started to sing a soft Chinese lullaby in hopes of calming Rei down.

Zhen watched as Rei blinked, tears disappearing as he gazed at Zhen's wife. After listening to part of the song, he started giggling, clutching his plush in what would be a bone crushing hug if he hadn't been so little. Or if the plush had had any bones to begin with.

"He seems to like you, Mei."

"We can't leave him here! We have to take him with us back to the village!" Mei begged.

Taking a quick look around to see if anyone was going to come out and claim Rei as their son, Zhen sighed. "I guess. It would be impractical for us to leave him here."

Mei squealed, "You mean it! Thank you honey!"

"I didn't say we could keep him, that's going to be up to the elders."

"Pft. You're going to be appointed as leader of the village in a couple of weeks. Does it matter?"

Both Mei and Zhen laughed, standing up. It wasn't until then that Mei noticed the gold chain, lifting the pendent delicately.

"Rei," she read, staring back at Zhen."A beautiful name for a beautiful baby boy." She walked away giggling, Zhen following behind her.

Mao and Kiki continued to watch until the couple disappeared with Rei. Mao felt a couple of tears slide down her face as she thought, _now it's just a matter of waiting._


	2. 1 Only The Beginning

Disclaimer and Warnings: Look at Chapter One

Wordcount: 3150

Last Edited: 8/4/10

_Chapter One: Only the Beginning_

_14 Years Later_

Blinding sunlight made its way through open windows, falling on its unsuspecting victim. Morning had finally come, promising many great surprises in the near future. A sleeping teen lay on his side, deep shallow breathes coming steadily from his partially open mouth. Sharp, pearl-colored canine teeth lay against the bottom of petal like lips. Massive amounts of obsidian hair tumbled everywhere, obscuring most of the boy's lean muscular figure.

Eyelids slowly fluttered open, disturbed by the continuous on slaughter of light. Groggy amber-yellow eyes came into focus after long moments of attempting to gather the boy's bearings. Finally conscious enough to not slip back into sleep, the boy sat up and raised his arms well over his head. Hands tiredly attempted to rake through thick masses of hair with no success. After moments of fighting, the boy gave up, reaching for a brush laying on the small table next to his futon. While he slowly combed through his hair, his amber eyes swept across the bare room.

It was rather unfurnished and plain, consisting of dull white walls and a wooden floor. The futon he was currently sitting on was a dark crimson in color, the sheet made out of very thin gauze material. The small table sat low to the floor, holding up important hair ties and a small hand-held mirror. A desk sat against the wall opposite his futon next to the only window in the room, holding many scrolls of different sizes and lengths. The wall in-between the futon and desk contained a large wooden bureau that held assortments of clothes and hair products, this was where the youth kept most of his belongings. The only decoration on the wall was a traditional white Chinese calendar adorned with a black and white yin-yang, that hung next to the bureau.

Standing up, the youth did one final stretch, then proceeded to the bureau for clothes. A coronation was being held for the newest member of the elderly council. Thus, he had to dress fitting for the occasion. After much deliberation he settled on black silken pants, a red and gold-embroidered Chinese-styled shirt, black slip-on Chinese shoes, and a matching set of a red headband and hair wrap. Hastily pulling on the shirt and pants, the boy knelt in front of the bureau, parting the clothing to reveal a hidden mirror. Picking up the comb again, he brushed through his obsidian locks one last time before gathering them up and deftly wrapping them up. The hair-wrap he chose was a simple red, with golden clips to keep the wrap attached to his hair. Once done, he took the plain red headband and pulled it around his forehead to keep his bangs out of his eyes. Quickly getting up, he slipped on his shoes, and straightened out his outfit. Finally satisfied, he closed his bureau, took one last look at his room and left.

His soft footsteps hardly made a sound as he walked down the hallway, making a right turn for the stairs. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he headed down another hallway as the sweet scent of rice caught his nose. Before entering the kitchen, he straightened his clothes again, and brushed off imaginary dust from his shirt. Trying to see his reflection in a pane of glass, he triply checked for any errors. Satisfied when he found none, he pushed open the kitchen door and strode through.

The sight that greeted him was the usual. His father sat at the head of the table, a warm yet stern look upon his face. Just like his son, he too had long obsidian hair wrapped up, only his was in a blue and silver wrap to signify his importance in the village as its leader. He looked up with brown eyes shining with approval and pride at his only son. Nodding his head in greeting, he went back to glancing over the scroll he had been reading only moments ago.

"Good morning, Rei," the boy's parents greeted in unison.

"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother," Rei replied, leaning down to kiss the top of his mother's head. Walking around the table, he sat down to his father's left, across from his mother. Taking the bowl placed in front of him, he passed it to his mother for her to fill. He watched her raven hair as it slid past one shoulder, the only containment it had, being that of a simple ribbon. Her dark-brown eyes gazed steadily at the bowl she was filling before passing it back.

"How is the studying coming along, son?" Rei's father asked.

"It's coming along great," Rei paused before adding. "There are only a few parts I'm still having trouble over, but it shouldn't be long now."

"That's good. You've been spending most of your time studying. You haven't forgotten the other requirement, have you? You're going to turn seventeen in a few months, which doesn't give you much time to find a suitable woman to marry," Rei's mother put in.

"I haven't, but I just wanted to get a head start on studying. Unless something comes up tomorrow, I'll walk around town."

"Don't forget, darling. Every girl here seems to have some form of infatuation over our son. It shouldn't be hard for Rei to find someone," Rei's father put in, glancing outside. "We ought to head off now. Come on Dear, Rei. We don't want to be late."

-x-x-x-x-x-

The coronation had gone on successfully. It was nothing new for Rei, having seen Elders come and go. Yet he still paid close attention to the proceedings, after all it wouldn't be long before he turned seventeen. It was tradition in the village that once the chosen leader had turned seventeen, he was to marry and become the leader with advisers until the age of nineteen. Then he was expected to take on full responsibility as leader by himself. It was a big responsibility, but Rei was ready for it. He had spent his whole life preparing for this exact moment.

The only problem was that Rei didn't have a potential bride, and without the bride their wouldn't be a coronation. Usually the heir of the leader was betrothed at a young age, but Rei's betrothed had died in a nasty breakout of some horrible disease that Rei couldn't even remember about. So instead of having Rei's parents chose his next betroth for him, they were willing to let Rei chose himself. Of course he would have to get their approval first.

Lost in his thoughts as he was, Rei had quickly forgotten that he had been taking a walk. Looking around, Rei found that he was standing next to a small roaring waterfall. Usually his favorite place to meditate peacefully. But he had obligations to fill, like finding a bride, and turned around heading back.

It was on his way back that he ran into Salima. Salima was known as the villages 'bookworm'. She was always studying and reading about the village's history and medicine.

"Good afternoon, Salima. Would you care to join me on my walk?" Rei politely asked. He gave her his famous heartwarming smile, knowing that most people couldn't resist it.

"O-of course," Salima stuttered, a faint blush crossing over her cheeks. She returned his smile, and fell into step next to him. The two continued on, Rei occasionally waving at people passing by.

"You sure are popular among everyone, aren't you Rei?" Salima asked, slightly bolder than earlier. "You'll make an excellent leader."

"Do you really think so?" Rei asked, glancing at her through the corner of his eye.

"Uh huh. It was as if you were born to lead a village. Maybe even a country," Salima joked, smiling up at Rei.

"A country, you say? I wouldn't mind that," Rei chuckled.

It was than that they reached the small market. People were everywhere, buying this and that trying to keep things under control in their own houses.

"Well, I have to stop off here. I'm buying a couple of things for my mother," Salima apologized.

"Of course, I must be heading back home soon anyway. Will you be all right on your own?"

Salima nodded her head, then waved a good-bye as she ran off. Rei smiled, and waved back too, before setting off down the road.

'Salima would make a good bride,' Rei thought to himself. 'Not to mention that my parents wouldn't mind at all, they love Salima. She's a pretty girl, polite, and very knowledgeable. Scratch out that she'd make a good bride. She'd make a perfect one.'

Reaching the front door of his house, Rei walked in. Not thinking that his parents would be home yet, he headed for the stairs.

"Rei, is that you out there?" Rei's mother's voice floated out. It sounded as if she was in the corridor just outside of the meeting room.

Rei headed in the direction, and found his mother exactly where he thought he would. She smiled at him, but it still couldn't hide the tension she was trying to keep from her son.

"Your father is in there with the elderly council. They wish to speak with you, so head on in. No need to keep them waiting." Rei's mother urged, silently pushing her son toward the door.

Rei shuffled in quietly, kneeling on the floor with his head bent down in respect. Reaching the appointed area, Rei bowed down, letting the cool-wood floor press lightly against his forehead. The smell of wood momentarily overwhelming his senses, causing Rei to close his eyes.

"You may rise," Rei's father, Zhen, spoke up. "As you are well aware, you're seventeenth birthday is coming up. In just a few months you'll be married, potentially starting a family, and leading this village to greatness. Having raised you myself, I am most certain in your capabilities of ruling and caring for this village. You have been studying hard, bringing knowledge to yourself about the village's history and culture. Yet, to my knowledge, you have not found a bride for yourself. I have been lenient so far, giving you freedom of choice. But with only a few months ahead of you, I'm afraid that I'll have to intervene with the help of the elderly council. Unless, that is, you have possibly found yourself a future bride?"

Rei sat up, glancing from his father to each individual member of the elderly council. He noted the tension that seemed to sit on his fathers shoulders, his attitude much different than the one he had earlier. Perhaps the elderly council was putting pressure on him? He spoke up. "Father, council, I have good news. Just today I have made my decision. With the permission of the council, and the permission of my parents, I wish to marry Salima."

A look of great approval came across every face in the room. The stern look in Zhen's face immediately fading away to that of relief and joy.

"A very wise choice, son. Salima is a wonderful girl, she can only lead you to greatness," Zhen nodded.

"Of course, we will have to discuss this with Salima's family first. But I do not see any problems with your choice. May you lead a strong village, young Rei," the head elder spoke up.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The next morning saw Rei standing beneath the waterfall he had accidentally walked to the day before. Raven-black hair matted down to his head as rushing water fell upon him, attempting to cool his body down in the hot temperatures. Amber eyes were hidden behind transparent eyelids, unfocused.

Rei was peacefully meditating, his thoughts far away as he thought about what was going on in his home. Just yesterday he had told his father and the elderly council that he had chosen Salima as his fiancée. He had also visited Salima's family yesterday to talk through the details of his wishes. As predicted, Salima's family had been more that ready to agree, grateful that Salima was going to wed the future village leader.

But, it wasn't like Rei loved Salima or anything. He cared for her deeply, concerned for her well-being. If anything, Rei only loved her as a sister. Rei was closer to her than any other female in the village, it only made sense that he was to marry her.

'I guess I'll have to get used to the idea. Nothing I can do to stop it now, the plan as been set in motion,' Rei thought quietly to himself.

Finally opening his eyes, the first thing Rei did was look up at the sun. Which was considerably higher than it was when Rei first arrived at the waterfall. Just how long had he been there for. He stepped out from beneath the waterfall, grabbing the towel he had laid out earlier beside the river. Drying himself off, Rei set off for his house, knowing that by now his father or mother would probably be needing him.

Casually walking home, Rei looked around. Watching the birds and other woodland animals go about their business. It never stopped amusing Rei that even though animals lived quite peaceful lives, they didn't have a government. Some animals appointed leaders, or had dominate males, but not like the human race did. Without sets of rules, human beings would be lost, causing chaos. A negative outlook on human nature, but still true.

At some point while deep in though, Rei failed to notice that two people had sidled up to him, too preoccupied with watching a family of tiger cubs. Once he did notice them, it didn't take Rei long to realize that they weren't people that he recognized. To his left was a woman with dark magenta hair held up in a light pink ribbon. Her clothes also consisting of a traditional pink and white Chinese dress robe. Something that wasn't found among his village. The man to his right had dark forest green hair pulled back in a simple high ponytail. He also wore a traditional Chinese dress robe, only his were blueish-purple in color. But what disturbed Rei the most were their eyes, both an alarmingly unusual gold color, just like Rei's. As far as Rei knew, he was the only known being with gold eyes.

"Can I help you?" Rei politely asked, a little unnerved that the two had decided to walk on both sides of him, effectively cornering him.

"Good afternoon," the woman replied. "Do you mind if we head back to wherever it was that you are heading from? My companion and I wish to talk to you privately. It's very important."

Rei eyed the two suspiciously, before giving in. Nothing seemed off about the two, to Rei they genuinely seemed like they only wanted to talk. So nodding his head, he turned around, heading back to the waterfall.

"Thank you for willing to listen to us. My name is Mao, and this is Kiki," the woman, Mao, introduced. She wore a heartfelt smile on her face, truly gratified at this opportunity. In fact, to Rei, she almost seemed excited.

Once reaching their destination, Rei sat down on the ground, watching as Mao and Kiki followed his lead. As it turned out, Mao would be the one to start off the conversation.

"Please, no matter how upset or confused you become during what we have to say, you must hear us out. I meant it when I said it was very important," Mao stated. She then started to speak without waiting for any kind of reaction from Rei.

"It comes to my attention that you're turning seventeen soon, or at least that's what's being told. The thing is, that's not true. You're actually turning sixteen tomorrow, which brings on a lot that's going to happen. I'm sure by now that you've realized that you're actually not from around here. You're actually from another world. When you weren't even two yet, your home was attacked and your brother ordered that you were taken to Earth for your protection. The thing is, you were born on a planet called Aekeis. It's actually a relatively smaller planet compared to Earth. There are only five nations, yet each contains a large amount land.

"Your family is the ruler of Mikeya. Mikeya had been at war with Skraew, another nation, for a while, but things suddenly took a turn for the worst. They had managed to reach the castle and had your parents killed. It was horrible! This is why Prince Rai, now known as King Rai, ordered that we take you here for your own safety. We were also ordered to take you back to the kingdom once you reached sixteen which is, as I told you, tomorrow," Mao finished, summing up the major points.

"Wait a minute, you actually except me you believe you? That was the wildest thing I have ever heard of in my entire life, that I'm some prince from some far a way land that's at war? Not to mention that I've suddenly become a year younger?" Rei gave her an incredulous look, obviously not believing a thing she had to say.

"Would you like proof? Just look at your eyes, how many other people do you know with eyes of that color? With pupils that slit into almond shapes when you're agitated? No one, right?" Kiki spoke up for the first time. Eyes intently watching for Rei's reaction.

Rei shifted slightly as his earlier thoughts were brought up again. But he still didn't want to believe them. He refused to believe them.

"You still don't believe us, do you," Kiki sighed. He got a thoughtful look on his face before breaking out in a grin. Holding out his hand, he focused intently on the center of his palm. A small blueish light appeared, as small as a dot before growing into the size of a large grape.

"W-what's that!" Rei exclaimed, somewhat frightened. He watched as the small glowing ball levitated mere millimeters about Kiki's hand.

"It's a simple spell known by most beings in Aekeis. It's one of the first things anyone learns before going into the hardcore spells," Kiki replied quickly getting impatient. "Look, I don't know if it just hasn't registered yet, or maybe you're ignoring it, but as Mao mentioned we've been ordered to bring you back tomorrow."

"I can't go there! I'm the future leader of this village, I have responsibilities to take care of that are more important. Besides, I have a wedding to plan for." Rei stood up, nodded farewell to the pair then stomped off.

"Do you think he believes us?" Mao asked, watching the teenager disappear from sight.

"To be honest, I don't think so. But he's definitely thinking about it, that's for sure."


	3. 2 Talk of Politics

Disclaimer and Warnings: Look at Chapter 1

Wordcount: 3300

Last Edited: 8/4/10

_Chapter Two: Talk of Politics_

Long slim fingers impatiently drummed rhythmically on top of a mahogany desk, attempting to remove the boredom the teen felt. The thumping causing his tutor to shoot him his own annoyed look, as the teen interrupted him yet again.

"Master Kai. You must refrain from hitting the table with your fingers. You need to listen to me! As your tutor, it is my responsibility to make sure that you are prepared to take the throne when you turn 19. Seeing as you are already 16, that only gives me less than three years. By doing what you are doing now, you're not making this an easy task!" Kai's tutor, Barthez, ranted, finally put off by his pupil's interruptions.

Kai rolled his intense ruby eyes at his teacher's antics. "Are we done here yet? I have better things to be doing right now, than have someone tell me things I already know."

"Very well then, seeing as how we are not going to get anywhere today. But we will pick up where we left off tomorrow. I expect you to be ready when I get here," Barthez huffed. He grabbed his teaching materials then turned on his heals to sweep out of the room.

"Finally," Kai grumbled, standing up. He had spent more than his share amount of time learning his family history. So what if he didn't know his great-great-great-grandmother's favorite food, it wouldn't matter once he was king.

Stopping by the washing basin besides his bed, Kai decided that a quick wash for his hands and face wouldn't hurt. Taking the white cloth next to the basin, Kai was about to dip it in the water when his reflection caught his attention. Sharp ruby eyes started back at him, cold and emotionless, something that Kai had been taught when he was younger by his grandfather. Occasionally obscuring his eyes were slate gray bangs, trailing off into a dark navy blue on the back of his head. He had duel-colored hair, navy blue from his mother and slate gray from his father. His slate gray bangs also framed his paper-white skin, showing off his four blue fins. Two adorning each check, the somewhat triangle-like figures representing himself as the heir to the thrown of Skraew, marking him for what he was to society.

Kai sighed, he had never asked to be born into royalty, to be the heir for the throne of a whole country. In fact, Kai wanted nothing to do with the whole ruling business. He just wanted to live his own life, maybe even start a family. Despite how cheesy and cliché it sounded.

Of course he would end up starting a family, to pass on the throne. But it would probably just end up being with some snotty princess who doesn't even know the first thing about ruling a country. Kai shuddered, thinking of the prospect, it was definitely not something he wished to happen. He held little hope for having an intelligent future Queen.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Kai dunked the white cloth in his hand into the water. He then proceeded to scrub his face and hands before dropping the cloth next to the basin to pick up a dry crimson one. Kai used this one for drying, also throwing it down next to the basin once he was done. Straightening up, Kai took notice in his height, standing at just more than six feet.

Walking out of his room, he nodded to his personal guard, signaling him to follow. The prince's guard was around the same height as Kai, if not a little bit taller. He had pale lavender hair with moonlight eyes. His skin was just as paper-white as Kai's, his right check adorning a small blue star at the outer corner of his eye to symbolize his position as Kai's personal guard.

"Prince Kai," the guard bowed respectfully.

"Boris," Kai replied. He continued down the corridor, knowing that Boris would follow him. "I am going to see my parents to discuss some issues, from there I will probably head to the library."

"As you wish, your highness."

Kai strode down the hallway, eager to get the visit with his parents over with. Though he was uninterested in most of the things his tutor taught him, there was one subject in particular that Kai was avid for. It just so happens that this particular subject wasn't brought up very often. It also happened to be the reason he was seeing his parents at this moment.

Reaching the throne room, Kai signaled Boris to wait there. He shouldn't be too long. He just had one question.

Striding through the doors, Kai marched up the isle, only stopping once he reached the three thrones that sat upon a platform. Two of them were occupied. The one in the center seated a man. To the man's right was a woman, then to his left was the empty throne of his son.

"Kai! What a delight it is to see you, what brings you here?" Queen Ilinia squealed, obviously delighted by the sight of her only son. Her long dark blue hair cascaded down her back, bright crimson eyes staring at her son. She had a long lithe frame with delectable curves that any women would kill to have. Her body was covered in a deep scarlet dress made of the finest silk, adorned with silver chains hanging from around her neck and wrists.

"Indeed, son. What does bring you here?" King Sasumo rumbled. His semi-long gray hair was held back in a short pony tail at the nape of his neck. Intense violet eyes studying his son with slight amusement. Broad shoulders filled out his black velvet uniform, covered by the customary deep red cloak and obsidian brooch.

"I wish to know how the war is coming along," Kai stated, rather than asked. This wouldn't be the first time he had come to his parents with this inquiry. They probably already knew what he was going to ask from the moment he had walked into the room.

"Ah, of course. We are still in the same position we were in the last time you asked yesterday. The last time we made real progress was around fourteen years ago, when the king and queen of Mikeya had been killed, but that was a while ago. Now their first son had taken over, and their second son had disappeared. We've been stuck in the same position ever since. I hate to admit it, but Rai makes an excellent king for Mikeya, which only means bad news for us," King Sasumo grumbled, put off by the lack of progress they had made. "Does that answer your question?"

"It does. Father, mother." Kai bowed slightly in respect, then stood and left.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"I don't know why you bother asking your parents the same question day after day. They're always going to give the same answer. 'It's the same as it was fourteen years ago, blah blah blah," Yuuri stated, bored.

Kai glanced up from the book he was reading to Yuuri who was stretched out across the only couch in the library. Yuuri's head was nestled in the lap of his boyfriend, ice blue eyes shut to the world around him. Crimson hair was styled into twin peaks off to each side of his head. Pale hands where resting against his stomach, to anyone looking in, they would have assumed that the redhead was sleeping. But he wasn't.

"Yuuri does have a point, why do you keep asking? Are you expecting a different response?" Boris asked, hand running through Yuuri's hair. "Besides, I thought you disagreed with the war. Why the sudden change of opinion?" Lavender eyebrows rose up in amusement, knowing the reaction that his statement would cause.

"Of course I still disagree with this war. My father can explain the point of it as many times as he wants, I'm still not going to understand it. It's quite obvious that we aren't going to win anymore, or at least not anytime soon. Father might regret saying this, but I don't, King Rai is a formidable leader when it comes to battle. We're practically at a tie right now. The war could go either way. But which way it goes doesn't matter, what does matter is the loss of people we're going to have. It's going to be a big number, more than we can risk. The country itself cannot afford to lose many more people. Our economy is starting to drop and people are losing their jobs left and right. If my father can't see that, then the sooner I'm king the better," Kai ranted. This was a matter that Kai took personally. Most people saw Kai in the image of his father, duty bound to the war's cause. But the King and his son rarely saw eye to eye, not that Kai would ever voice this point to his father.

"Okay, okay. No need to give us your 'I'm-better-then-my-father' speech again. We know what you mean, and we agree with what you're saying," Yuuri stated. "By the way, I was in the marketplace yesterday, listening around for opinions. Most people just want the war over with so they can have family members and lovers returned to them. At the same time, most people believe that you are in favor of the war." Yuuri smirked, a look that seemed off considering his last statement. "I also took the liberty of spreading some of my own rumors around. Though most didn't believe me, they did seem to brighten a bit at the thought of you possibly ending the war for them."

Kai rolled his eyes. It was typical of Yuuri to do that sort of thing. But he was somewhat grateful for what his friend did, the people needed hope. They still had three more years to get through before Kai took over, a lot could happen in that large time span.

"Have you even figured out how you're going to end the war?" Boris asked. "It's not like you can just say 'The war is over' and expect King Rai to submit to your wishes. Especially after what we've made him go through."

"I've been thinking about it. I don't have it all figured out, but I believe that the second prince is the key to ending the war. And as much as King Rai might not be willing to admit it, I believe he wants the war to be over with too."

"Prince Rei? But he went missing the same time that his parents were killed. For all we know, he's been dead for the past fourteen years.," Yuuri pointed out, ignoring Kai's comment about Rai.

"It's a possibility, but I don't think so. Call it a gut feeling, but I'm quite sure that Prince Rei is alive and out there somewhere."

"Alive and out there somewhere? Well, that solves all of our problems, now doesn't it?" Yuuri replied sarcastically, fighting the strong urge to roll his eyes.

"Look, mock me all you like, but it's not going to stop me from acting out. I believe that Prince Rei is alive, out there somewhere. I believe that he's the key to ending this war. I believe that more people also want this war done with than we may have originally thought. So, I am going to take what I believe in, and act. Regardless of what you have to say."

"Okay. I will repeat what I said earlier. We are behind you. There is no need to give us your speech, _again_." Yuuri sat up, glaring at Kai before flopping back down into his boyfriends lap.

"Anyway, I've been doing some research on neko-jins. This is another reason why I believe Prince Rei is the key," Kai said, ignoring Yuuri's outburst.

"You seem quite intent on Prince Rei saving us, do you have a plan in case he doesn't magically show up?" Yuuri asked sarcastically.

Kai shot Yuuri an unamused stare, before standing up to leave. "I would appreciate it if you didn't mock me. As I said earlier, I will ignore you. But it would be extremely helpful to know that you two are on my side."

"Please, Kai. Don't make me repeat myself for the third time," Yuuri said dramatically, again referring to Kai's speech.

"Come on, we'll go to my room. From there I'll tell you what I have planned so far."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Kai!" the shrill voice of Queen Ilinia could be heard for miles as she hurried to catch up to her son. "Kai, dear. How were your lessons this morning? Barthez told me that they ended early, but that you'd catch up tomorrow."

"It did end early, but to be honest, I don't see what any of this has to do with becoming a king. So what if I don't know my ancestor's favorite foods. It's not going to change anything now."

"I know it seems pointless now, sweetie. But in just a few years you'll be king! So don't worry about it, just toughen up and get through it. I know you can do it."

Kai sighed, count on his mother to pop up out of nowhere to bug him. She was always encouraging him to do his best and be patient. Whether she realized it or not, patience was something that Kai was good at . . . for a short period of time anyway.

"Mother, can I ask you something?" Kai asked hesitantly.

"Of course you can! You know you can ask your mother anything. What is it?"

"What do you think of the war?"

Silence pursued Kai's question, causing him to turn his head toward his mother. Queen Ilinia had an unusually serious look on her face, contemplating the best answer for her son's question.

"Well, it's hard to say. There are so many factors to add in. I personally don't care for the war. It's had a negative effect on our country, and our people. But it's not like I can just wish the war over with. There are the questions of how do we fix what we caused? Do we help the other countries we've affected like Mikeya? Even if we do want to help what's to say that they'll want our help? What about if we need help? The questions just go on forever."

"But what if we offer a mutual alliance with Mikeya? We can help them, and they can help us?" Kai protested. "Surely the two of us, Mikeya and Skraew, can work out some sort of agreement."

Queen Ilinia looked at her son in amusement. "So you disagree with the war? How will your father react?" She said dramatically, her cheerful self back.

"Mother!" No one seemed to be able to take Kai serious that day.

"I'm sorry Kai, but you know I can't answer your questions. This is where I'd normally tell you to talk to your father, but I don't think he'll appreciate knowing that you're against the whole idea. Which makes me think, why do you keep asking us the progress of the war if you don't even agree with it?"

"How am I supposed to stop a war, when I don't even know what happened in the war? I'd sound stupid during the negotiations." Kai rolled his eyes.

"Of course, we can't have you sounding stupid, now can we!" Kai's mother burst out into laughter again, causing Kai to sigh in agitation.

"Can't you take anything seriously?" Kai demanded, acting as it he was going to walk off.

"Come on Kai, you need to lighten up. Just because I like to have fun and pick on you doesn't mean that you need to get all defensive on me. Besides, my picking on you is one of my ways of showing you that I love you."

"What kind of logic is that!"

"Oh, just ignore that for now. Come on, your father has a meeting with his top adviser. Apparently their is some news from Mikeya." Queen Ilinia dragged him along, unwilling to let her son go as they entered the big doorway into the throne room.

King Sasumo was already there, sitting tall in his throne. Kai and his mother took their respectful places as they waited for the King's top adviser to arrive. Which wouldn't be long.

Balcov stormed into the room, pausing to bow before his king. He sent a small snarl at Kai, slightly offended at the presence of the younger man. Looking up at his king, he began.

"Just this morning my contacts in Mikeya heard that King Rai is preparing for the return of Prince Rei. We don't know when this is suppose to happen, but apparently it's suppose to happen soon. Unfortunately by the time we actually do find out the date it will be too late to form any kind of surprise attack. This could potentially be bad for us. With another mind behind their plotting, who knows where this war is going to go. Besides, we don't even know where the boy has been these past fourteen years."

"So what do you suggest we do?" King Sasumo asked.

"Attack. As soon as possible, that way we might even get to them before Rei gets there," Balcov responded.

Kai found himself appalled by what was being discussed. Attack? No, that was most definitely not the way to go. He would speak with his father later. It was about time that his father knew about how he felt for this stupid war.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Stop the war! That is completely out of the question! We've gotten this far. We're not going to stop." To say that Kai's father was outraged was an understatement.

"Continuing this war is stupid! All you have to do is sit here and give out commands while our people are out there dying!" To say that Kai was outraged was also an understatement.

"So what do you suggest? That we give in! Make ourselves out to be weaklings? That's just going to make us a target for other countries to attack."

"Says who! Have you even considered ending this war? No, you haven't. If we were to have some mutual alliance with Mikeya than we would be untouchable! Skraew has the largest land mass, with the most supplies. Mikeya comes into a close second. If we were to form an alliance, than why would anyone want to attack us?"

"Listen, son. You're still young, wait until you become king than you'll understand. We have to have war to survive, get what we want."

"Says the king who doesn't even listen to his people-" Kai was cut off by a sharp stinging on his check, as he felt himself fly to the floor. It took him a moment to realize that his father had hit him.

"Watch your tongue, boy. I am not only your father, but your King and you will have respect for me," King Sasumo spat out.

Kai stood up, head bowed. "I'm sorry. I stepped over the line when I said that."

"Go to your room. I'll talk to Barthez about your punishment in the morning."

Kai nodded, than walked through the door of his parents' bedroom to his own room, eyes bright with anger. If his father thought that he would just back off at the word 'punishment' than he was wrong. Kai would show him.


	4. 3 Welcome Home Little Brother

Disclaimer and Warnings: Look at Chapter One

Wordcount: 3000

Last Edited: 8/4/10

_Chapter Three: Welcome Home, Little Brother_

"_We can't wait any longer, it's obvious that he isn't going to make the decision soon enough. We must go get him before it's too late."_

-x-x-x-x-x-

Rei lay sprawled across his futon, watching the sun through his window. It was getting late, yet the two people from the day before didn't show up. Perhaps it had all been a prank? But if so, why was it bothering him so much. How did that man make a ball of light float in his palm? What bothered him the most was their eye color, so unusual yet so familiar.

Heaving himself up with a heavy sigh, Rei walked to his bedroom door. Maybe a glass of water would help calm him.

It had been around an hour since supper had finished, so Rei's mother was in the middle of doing dishes when he showed up. Try as he might, he couldn't hide how he was feeling from her.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Mei voiced.

"Nothing. Well, just stress I suppose."

"Ah. Don't let it get to you, you'll be fine. There are still a couple of months left to plan the wedding, than you'll have a year or so before preparing for your coronation. Unless there is something else on you mind?" Mei questioned.

"No, I'm just putting too much pressure on myself, that's all."

"Have you tried meditating yet? I haven't seen you in the meditation garden for a while now." Mei walked over to Rei, affectionately patting his head, messing up his hair. "Go meditate, you'll feel better."

"I will. Thank you mother," Rei responded, pecking his mother on the check before heading towards the back door that led into the meditation garden.

The garden was small, in the center was a koi pond filled with small fish and bright green lily pads. Surrounding the pond was a stone path that led from the doorway and all around the pond. Beyond that were bushes of sweet smelling flowers of every kind and color.

Taking one of the straw mats with him, Rei placed it on the opposite side of the pond, that way he was facing his home. Sitting down on top of the mat, Rei took a few deep breathes while closing his eyes.

He had only just closed his eyes for a few moments when the snapping of a branch behind him caught his attention. But instead of turning around to see what it was, Rei merely cracked his eyes open, pretending to still meditate while listening intensely to what was going on around of him.

It was through his cracked eyelids, that Rei noticed the figure of a woman walk in front of him. It was the same woman from the day before, Mao. Opening his eyes fully, he started at the woman with an intense curiosity and wariness.

"Rei, you must come with us now. Please don't give a struggle, just come. We'll be able to explain so much more once we get to the castle. It's important that we get to King Rai as soon as possible," Mao begged, kneeling in front of Rei.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have my own obligations to comply too," Rei apologized, still wary of the woman.

"Well, I'm sorry too, Rei. But this has to be done."

Rei was about to ask what she was talking about when he suddenly found himself paralyzed. He couldn't move a joint in his body, and breathing was becoming steadily difficult. He couldn't move his eyes from where they were focusing on Mao, nor could he say a word.

Mao's eyes were starting to faintly glow magenta along with the rest of her body as she called forth the simple sleeping spell. She watched Rei's eyes intently as they slowly started to shut, occasionally flickering in an attempt to stay awake. But the struggle quickly ended as Rei's eyes snapped shut, his body slumping forward.

Turning to look behind her, she quietly whispered, "Did you get what I asked you to?"

"Yeah, come on, before the two people from inside the house come out and find us."

With that said and done, the second figure grabbed Rei and threw him over their shoulder. Then the two silently headed off to the woods, leaving the straw mat where it was.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Low murmurs of conversation pulled Rei from his sleep, who was desperate to figure out what was being said, and who was in his room. Keeping his eyes closed, Rei noticed that the conversation was becoming clearer, and that someone new had just entered the room.

Shifting slightly, Rei realized that he wasn't sleeping on his futon, but on something that was soft and warm. A heavy duvet that was to thick to even consider using back home was pulled up to his shoulders, trapping in his body heat. If he wasn't on his futon at home, where was he? Soft words pulled him from his thoughts again.

"Your Majesty." came the familiar voices of Mao and Kiki.

"How long has he been asleep for?" A deep, rough voice asked.

"Not long, an hour at most. I had to cast the sleeping spell to get him here. He doesn't quite believe in what's going on yet. He should be waking up anytime now," Mao supplied.

"Good," the deep voice rumbled.

Rei felt the soft surface he was laying on dip next to him as someone sat down. A hand brushed against his forehead, pushing away raven bangs with thick, callused, fingers. This caused Rei's eyelids to flicker briefly.

"Rei?" the deep voice rumbled again, this time from right next to him. When Rei's eyes finally opened, the first thing he noticed was the broad shouldered man sitting next to him. He had unkempt, jet-black hair that ended just below his shoulders, pulled together in a loose ponytail. Staring back at him were honey-gold eyes that sparkled with unshed tears.

Rei took note that the man was wearing an expensive-looking, silk honey uniform top that almost matched the color of his eyes. The top was trimmed with dark forest green thread and carefully cut emeralds. A velvet matching-green cloak lay atop his broad shoulders, held together by a large emerald gem brooch.

"Younger brother, it is so good to see you again. It's been too long." The man gently grabbed Rei's shoulders and helped him into a sitting position before gripping him in a tight embrace.

Rei sat silently through out the hug, not sure of what to do. Who was this man, why was he claiming to be Rei's brother? Rei was an only child, he would know if he had any siblings, especially older male ones at that.

"Uh, excuse me?" Rei asked timidly. Carefully watching the man's reaction. "Who are you? Where are we?"

The man masked his hurt with concern and understanding. Of course Rei wouldn't know who he was, he wasn't even two when he had to leave.

"I am Rai, your older brother. I am also known as King Rai, ruler of Mikeya the Great Cat Nation, which I will explain later. For now, all you need to know is that you are finally home, Prince Rei." Rai smiled brightly down at his little brother.

"But for now, perhaps you would like to see Byakko? He's missed you dearly since you've left," Rai commented. Grabbing Rei's arm and lifting him from the bed without waiting for a response.

"Byakko?"

"Yes, your _shatarah_. You have been bonded to Byakko ever since you were born, back when Byakko was a newborn cub," Rai explained.

"_Shatarah_? I'm sorry, but I don't understand anything that your saying," Rei replied, taken back by all that was being thrown at him.

"Sorry 'bout that. It's a little weird for me too, I haven't seen you in nearly fifteen years. A _shatarah_ is one's bonded animal. Byakko is your _shatarah_ because of your bond, just as Galeon is my _shatarah_.

"Now, I don't know what kind of pets or animals you associated with back on Earth, but when you see Byakko, don't feel intimidated. He'll have to reacquaint himself with your scent again. It's been a while for him, as he spends most of his time in the forest."

Rei choose to stay quiet this time, observing the surrounding as they made their way through a maze of stone walls and floors. Floors were covered with elaborate rugs, while beautiful and colorful tapestries and paintings covered the walls.

As Rei was studying the decorations, Rai gave him a sympathetic look. It was obvious from Rei's awe, that transitioning to this new life wasn't going to be as quick as Rai liked.

"Before I throw too much at you, are their any questions you would like me to attempt to answer? I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best," Rai asked, breaking the silence.

Rei looked around, there were so many questions swimming around in his mind, but where to start? "If I truly am your brother, why was I living on Earth for so long? Mao sort of explained why you sent me to Earth to begin with, but not the length of the stay."

Rai started sadly at his brother, thinking through what he could possibly say. "I want you to understand that sending you to Earth wasn't a decision I enjoyed. But I had to make sure, that no matter what, you would be safe. I was barely of age at the time to accept the crown and become King. In normal circumstances, I should have wed first, but the situation was too dire. That also put your safety at great importance. If I were to die without an heir, you would be next in line for succession of the thrown.

"You may not realize it yet, but your an extremely important figure right now. As for why you stayed on Earth so long, I don't have a reason. It just felt right at the time. Besides, you still have a few years to learn what you need to know in the event that you find yourself on the thrown. But don't worry about it, I've proven to the people to be a worthy leader, and don't plan on disappearing anytime soon. Besides, I've been married since. It's just a matter of producing a son now."

Rei absently nodded, trying to take in all that Rai had said. It was then that Rei noticed that the two were heading outside, and a comment that Rai made earlier came back to him.

"Rai, what kind of creature is Byakko?"

A feral, almost maniacal grin came over Rai's features. "A white tiger."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Rei's eyes drastically widened when the two males came to their destination. Rei stood frozen in the middle of a gateway that led into a small opening before a large forest. Laying down before the forest was a huge black lion, it's head alone was wider than Rei's shoulder span! But what spooked Rei out the most, was that the lion had the same honey-gold eyes as Rai.

Rai whistled to it as he walked calmly over to the lion, bursting out in laughter when all the lion did was spare him a glance.

"Come on now, Galeon," Rai said, affectionately rubbing Galeon's nose, "where's Byakko? I have a surprise for him."

Galeon stood up, yawning widely in sheer boredom, before noticing Rei. Once Rei had captured the lion's attention, Galeon gave Rei an unwavering stare. Tilting his head to one side, Galeon slowly pawed his way towards him. Rei stood still in shock, Galeon was a tall lion. His shoulder blade's coming way above Rai's waist.

Noticing the beginnings of a panicked look on Rei's face, Rai chuckled. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you."

True to Rai's words, all Galeon did was sniff at Rei's feet and hands before turning around and bounding off for the woods. Rei watched on, slightly confused. The welcome he got from the lion helped settle his nerves a little. If Galeon wasn't going to hurt him, than surely Byakko wouldn't either.

Rai walked back over to his brother. "I told you he wouldn't hurt you, he still remembers your scent. For now he has gone off to look for Byakko, and to hopefully bring him back.

"The bond you shared with Byakko really hurt him when you disappeared. They won't admit it, but _shatarah_ don't like to be separated from their bonded. The bond is so strong, that I'd be surprised if Byakko didn't sense your return the minute you were back."

It was as Rai was finishing that a sudden movement from the forest grabbed Rei's attention. A sense of something approaching overwhelmed Rei's senses, something that had never happened before. Watching patiently at a specific direction, Rei wasn't surprised when the huge white tiger stepped out of the woods.

The tiger paused long enough to glance at both Rei and Rai, before stepping forward, walking towards Rei in an unhurried pace. Rei gasped again, noticing that the tiger had the same brilliant liquid amber eyes as himself. It's shoulders almost reaching Rei's. This must be Byakko. Byakko had silky white fur covered with green strips that were so dark they appeared black.

Byakko stepped up to Rei, circling him, as he sniffed at Rei's body. Byakko stopped in front of him, glancing up at Rei in a very unamused gesture. Even though Byakko didn't say anything, Rei knew that he was asking where Rei had been all of these years.

Reaching his hand out to scratch Byakko's nose in a manner much like Rai when rubbing Galeon's nose, Rei was startled when two more creatures emerged from the forest. Rei started again when a high pitched squeal was heard from behind him, Mao sprinting forward towards one of the creatures.

The creature Mao was currently hugging around the neck appeared to be a pink minx, again sharing the same eye color as Mao. Rei guessed that the minx was Mao's _shatarah_.

"Galux! It's so good to see you again. I've missed you so much," Mao ushered. Galux purred in turn, rubbing against Mao before licking the woman's face.

"Galmon, hey buddy." Kiki walked though the gates into the small opening, towards what appeared to be a monkey. Rei shrugged it off, turning to Rai who was now talking with Galeon who had just returned.

Rai motioned toward the gate, going through them himself with Galeon tagging along behind him. Rei followed, watching Byakko to make sure he was following too.

"This is where the palace's shatarah spend most of their time when their bonded is off doing something without them. It's very rare for a _shatarah_ to be away from their bonded. In fact, all of the rooms, doorways and hallways are designed so a person's _shatarah_ can be with them at all times, usually for protection."

"Rai, can I ask you something," Rei inquired.

"What?"

"Do the _shatarah_ and their bonded usually share the same eye color? I noticed that you and Galeon shared the same eye color, as well as Mao and Galux, Kiki and Galmon, and Byakko and myself."

"Always, it is one of the signs that the two are bonded. Usually the two don't bond until they meet between the ages of five to ten, then the bonded takes up the same eye color as their _shatarah_. There has only been one other instance, you. You were born already having the same eye color as Byakko. It's something that many people here consider to be a good omen."

The two walked on in silence for a little while, their _shatarah_ trailing along behind them. Then Rei realized something.

"Rai, I'm not going to be able to go back to Earth, am I?" Rei questioned.

Rai cocked an eyebrow. "Of course not. Does it upset you?"

"Of course it does! The only family I've really known is there," Rei sighed. "I was actually getting ready to get married, that way I could take my father's spot as the head of the village."

"You grew up with the leader of a village?"

"Yup, I was going to become one in just over a year too. Although I have to admit that leading the village was beginning to get to me. There are a lot of weird customs that they hold onto."

Rai smiled, ruffling Rei's hair. "Who knows, maybe you can use some of these 'weird' customs to help me lead Mikeya."

Rei smiled back, pushing away at the arm. It surprised him how easy he was adjusting to having a brother. Something that he had always secretly wanted back in China. But he would never have dared say anything back there, in fear that he would be accused of trying to avoid his duty as the soon-to-be leader.

"Uh, Rai. I'm not going to have to read a bunch of scrolls to learn what I need to know, am I?" Thoughts of countless hours wasted on reading scrolls filled Rei's mind, reminding him already of the now pointless preparations he underwent back home.

"You won't solely depend on scrolls, you'll have a a personal teacher. You'll meet him tomorrow after you settle in some more. The lessons won't actually begin until the day after. How does that sound?"

"Good to me."

"Just a warning, Master Tao may seem demanding and a bit eccentric, but he knows the quickest way for people to learn anything. Just give him your respect, and listen. You'll be surprised by how quickly you catch on." Another feral grin spread over Rai's face as he climbed atop of Galeon's back.

"Although, I suppose teaching you to ride on Byakko's back now won't hurt."


	5. 4 Off on a Campaign

Disclaimer and Warnings: Look at Chapter One

Wordcount: 2800

Author's Note: For those who aren't familiar with the way campaign is used in this story, it means leading a group of people into an attack with a purpose. Whether it be to gain back lost land, push back the enemy, or gain new territory. I'm not using it in the sense of promoting someone, like one would do when campaigning for president.

I am so sorry! I thought I had already posted this chapter, but when I checked, it wasn't up! Enjoy and please review.

_Chapter Four: Off on a Campaign_

Kai grunted with effort as he continued to push Yuuri back, his sword creating blue sparks each time it met Yuuri's. The two swords met again with a loud clash, causing even more sparks to fly as Yuuri took another step back. Kai was angry, no, that wasn't right. He was furious.

"So as your punishment he's sending you away on a campaign, leading a whole troop? He didn't even tell you for how long?" Boris asked, silently watching from the sideline. Beside him was a silver falcon preening its feathers. Beady, moonlight colored eyes carefully focused on the task at hand.

"Yes," Kai gritted out. He stopped his assault, walked over to a low bench and grabbed his water-satchel. Taking a long gulp of water, Kai stared blankly ahead of himself before grimacing and calling out to the only one who could comfort him.

"Suzaku."

A beautiful red phoenix hopped next to Kai, tilting it's slim head to the side. Beady, yet intelligent crimson eyes stared up at Kai. The top of the phoenix's head reached to about Kai's stomach when her neck was stretched out.

Kai started to pet Suzaku's head and long neck, finding the rhythm and silky feathers soothing to his distressed mind. She always knew what to do when he was stressed. She started to trill a soft tune, nudging Kai's side with affection. Sometimes Kai thought that Suzaku acted more like his mother than his _shatarah_.

At the same time that Suzaku was comforting her bonded, a silver wolf bound up to Yuuri, knocking the teen over.

"Ah! Wolborg, what was that for," Yuuri muttered, trying to get up only to be pushed back over again. Wolborg stared intensely into Yuuri's eyes for a few moments before jumping up to start pacing.

"We've bored Wolborg to tears with our practicing, so I'm going to take him for a run around the perimeter. I'll be back soon." Yuuri jumped onto Wolborg's back, howling excitedly when Wolborg took off at a full run.

"Your lover is crazy," Kai mumbled, shaking his head as he watched Yuuri disappear.

"I know. It's hard to believe that he's the captain of the Palace Guards."

At first glance, most wouldn't believe the red head to be Captain Ivanoh, head of the Palace Guards. Yuuri had the look of a young adult who had grown up too fast, which wasn't far from the truth.

"Now that Yuuri's left, I need a sparing partner. Mind training with me?" Kai inquired, earning a disagreeing squawk from Suzaku. He could tell from the bond they shared that Suzaku felt that he had trained long enough, now it was time for relaxing.

"Not now Suzaku, if I'm going to go out on a campaign, I need to be prepared to lead a troop. Something I've never done before." Kai grimaced, thinking of the responsibility that was going to be weighing on him with the lives of hundreds of soldiers.

"Well, your father can't just send you out into battle. You'll probably end up in a training camp for a few months before the actual campaign. My guess is that you'll be away for around a year before coming back," Boris supplied.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that you and Yuuri are coming too? As my personal guards to make sure nothing happens to me." Kai rolled his eyes in slight annoyance. The additions of his two best friends had been his mothers idea, who was the only one to know of the secret friendship. Besides, their wasn't any way that she was going to let her only son wonder off to some campaign without protection.

"Hm, I believe that did slip your mind earlier. Anything else you forgot to say?"

"Balcov's coming."

Boris hissed quietly to himself, fighting off the deep hatred the name always brought to him. It was obvious to anyone with eyes and ears that Balcov had a problem with the Prince and his guard. Nor did it slip anyone's attention of the leering faces he sent Yuuri.

"Another fact you conveniently left out the first time you mentioned this."

"Well, I suppose we should tell Yuu-" Kai was cut off by the sound of frantic feet running their way.

Looking at the doorway that led into the training area outside, a small, blond-haired page stumbled out, almost falling to the ground. Gaining his balance back not a moment to soon, the page continued to rush to Kai's side, kneeling before the prince.

"Your highness, your presence is required in your parents chamber immediately," the page huffed between heavy breaths. Emerald green eyes chanced a cautious look up between dirty blond hair.

"Tell them I'll be there in a few moments, I need to put away my gear."

The page nodded his head violently, to the point that Kai thought his head was going to fall off.

"Calm down, Prince Kai won't bite you. Just run alone and tell his parents he'll be there. Okay?" Boris asked, attempting to calm the nervous boy.

Again the page nodded, less violently this time, and darted back to where he had come from.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Father, Mother, you summoned me?" Kai inquired as he entered the room, not even bothering to glance at his parents first. When he did, his eyes widened in shock and worry.

His mother was sitting in a chair that was pulled up besides her husband's side of the bed, worry lines prominent all over her usually smooth face. She was leaning over the bed, one hand moving in slow motions. It wasn't until Kai stepped up next to his mother that he realized why she was so upset.

Kai's father lay down in the bed, his body cocooned in quilts and blankets. His face was paler than normal, the skin under his eyes flushed as if with fever. He appeared to be sleeping, but Kai couldn't tell if that was right or not.

"What happened?" Kai inquired, kneeling besides his mother.

"We were on our way back from the thrown room, when your father suddenly fell over. He's been getting paler, but it shouldn't matter for too much longer. I just hope that the healer would get here soon."

"So you don't know what's wrong?"

"Not a clue," Queen Ilinia replied. Her usual cheerfulness gone from her face, instead replaced with an unimaginable amount of worry.

Just then, the healer arrived, rushing into the room with a bag of different kinds of medical instruments. His face was red, and breath short, making it apparent that he had come as soon as possible. Silently waving the Queen and Prince aside, he walked up to the King's side, starting his examination.

Kai and his mother stood off to the side, standing close to each other as they waited in feigned patience. Watching on as best as they could, trying to interpret what was wrong from the healers actions and expressions.

After what appeared to be hours later, the healer finally stepped back. He looked a little confused, as if he wasn't quite sure what was wrong with Skraew's King.

"From the looks of it, I'd say that it was just a combination of stress and fatigue. I'd keep him in bed for a few days, and watch over him to make sure that his condition doesn't worsen. If it does, send for me immediately."

The healer nodded farewell to the two, then walked out. Kai and his mother walked back, next to his father, in relief.

"You're leaving the day after tomorrow, have you told Yuuri and Boris that they'll be going with you?" Ilinia inquired, looking up at her son.

"I've told Boris, and I'm sure that's he's informed Yuuri by now. Was it father's decision to send Balcov along?"

"It was. I know you don't like the man, but try to put up with him? Shunning him, and making it known to everyone else that you don't like him isn't going to make your life any better. I don't want you giving your father another reason to punish you again."

"Of course," Kai responded dryly. It went without saying that even if Kai tried to make Balcov's life difficult, the other man would gladly return the favor.

"You should run along and start packing your things. Oh, and make sure that Yuuri does know, he's going to have to appoint a temporary captain for when he's gone," Ilinia informed her son.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Killing him now, will only cause problems down the road," Kai spoke quietly to his seething friend. Boris didn't even acknowledge the warning, instead unblinkingly glaring at the King's head advisor.

"If he makes one more lewd comment or gesture at Yuuri, he'll wake up find himself missing valuable body parts."

Kai smiled at the mental image the comment provided, elbowing his personal guard. "I would appreciate it if you could behave well enough that you'll actually be staying with me for this whole ordeal. I don't want to have to face it alone."

"What are you two up to, over there?" Yuuri called from halfway across the field, having just finished giving last minute orders to his temporary replacement. He dashed over, pretending to accidentally bump into Boris before putting a little distance between the two.

Kai didn't even want to imagine what would happen if anyone had found out that the two were courting each other. It wasn't that the two were of the same gender, but that Yuuri was head captain of the guards while Boris was Kai's own personal guard. It was inconceivable that the prince's personal guard would want to do anything but protect his prince.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Boris here is just threatening to castrate Balcov. One might think that he's just a tad bit over protective of you," Kai mused, smiling somewhat remorsefully to his red-headed friend.

"Aw, Prince Kai wouldn't be jealous that I've got someone to look out for my well-being, would he?" Yuuri teased.

"Does it look like I need someone to watch over me?" Kai sounded miffed.

Boris and Yuuri shared amused looks, before stating together, "Yes."

"Besides, in case you've forgotten, he happens to be my personal guard, so he has to look out for me anyway."

"Come on, my prince," Boris amended. "Even if I weren't your personal guard, I'd still look out for you. You're like a little brother to me, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I'm sure Yuuri feels the same way, despite what he says and how he acts."

"I've always wanted a little brother!" Yuuri exclaimed, wistfully staring at Kai as if he was about to jump on the poor boy.

"I, um, have to go look for Suzaku," Kai said, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the look he was receiving. "We're leaving soon, so go around and make sure everything is ready for departure. I'm also going to say good buy to my mother and father again."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Good-bye, dear! Please try and stay safe, and keep close to either Boris or Yuuri at all times! I'll miss you, don't forget to keep us updated!" Ilinia shouted to her only son, on the balcony above where the men were preparing to leave. Kai watched as she was frantically waving at him, trying to catch a last glimpse before he departed for his long journey. He waved back briefly, before turning towards his men.

"Let's head out."

The order was repeated by ranking officers down the lines of soldiers, as the troops slowly started to move out. Yuuri and Boris immediately fell into line next to Kai, Yuuri on his left, Boris his right.

"How upset is your mother about you leaving?" Yuuri inquired, giving his own salute to the queen.

"She tried to talk father out of it, but he wouldn't budge. I don't even want to think about the greeting I'm going to get when I get back," Kai replied.

"Nothing's stronger than a mother's love," Boris input.

Kai rolled his eyes, staying quiet. He wasn't in the mood for talking, or being a part of any conversation. Ever since he has woken up that morning, he had had a bad feeling in his gut. An instinct that told him something was going to happen. It was putting him in a sour mood, one that his friends couldn't ignore.

"Are you going to keep brooding, or are you going to talk to us?" Yuuri asked, looking directly at Kai.

From high above, Suzaku cooed in agreement with Yuuri's statement. Wanting to comfort her bonded, but not being able to. She dived a little, and flew by Kai's head, looking at him as she cooed again. Then she was off, flying ahead to scout the path. Kai sighed.

"It's nothing, just a bad feeling that I have. Which isn't all that surprising considering that I'm leading troops into the midst of war," Kai grumbled to himself.

"Well, you shouldn't think about it. If the solders see you think unsettled they're going to become unsettled themselves. Trust me, you don't want to deal with that. Confidence, but not over-confidence, is the way to win a battle," Yuuri lectured. "They're not going to fight to their full capability if they don't think they stand a chance. At the same time, if they're too full of themselves then they're going to underestimate the enemy. You need a balance between the two."

Kai glanced over at Yuuri, "perhaps this is why mother had you join me. Not so much because I need protection, but because I'm going to need someone who knows how to lead soldiers." Kai nibbled his lower lip in thought. "I suppose this campaign isn't such a bad idea. If I've been out on the battle field, it'll gain me trust with the people. I wont just be some ruler sitting on his thrown as his people go out and die on his command."

"Ah, now his highness is saying something that makes sense. Making a bad situation into a good one," Boris teased. "Are you going to use this against your father?"

"Not directly. It'll be interesting to see the reactions afterward."

"Do you think your father is still going to be upset at you when you get back?" Yuuri asked.

"I doubt it. Not only will I be gone for a year, but he'll probably think that I've gained some 'sense' while I'm out here. We'll be on good terms. He doesn't tend to stay angry at me for too long, which is probably why he rushed me out the doors as soon as he did."

Boris snorted, "True. I have to admit, that it surprised me when you told me how he was punishing you. It seemed so out of character for him, I exp-."

"Enough. I'm tired of hearing this conversation," Yuuri complained. "I want to hear more about his highness's brilliant plan involving Prince Rei. We didn't get to hear the whole plan the other day."

"If you think I'm going to tell you, out in the open where anyone can overhear, you're wrong. I'd rather wait and get the people's trust before I throw what will seem like a hair-brained scheme at them. I have it all figured out, sort of."

-x-x-x-x-x-

The signal that they had reached the training grounds came in the form of Suzaku circling overhead, cawing, then diving for the ground. There, she would wait for her bonded to find her.

Kai's first impression of the training camp was that of a small civilization of men, living in tents. Rows upon rows of tents where everywhere. In the center was an even bigger tent, presumably the one that Kai would be living in. The men who were already stationed here were hard at work training. Some working at targets, others pairing up to work on their swordsmanship.

The soldiers who had ridden in with him, were slowly intermingling with the others. Claiming tents, joining in on the training, or meeting up with friends and family. They wouldn't have to worry about training until the next day, and Kai was more than willing to give them the rest of the day. He himself was on his way with Yuuri and Boris to his personal tent. There he could discuss training plans, and possible outcomes for when they actually went out into battle.

Kai sighed, getting off of his horse to stand next to Suzaku. It would be a long six months of training.


End file.
